May 20, 2012

Brock Alan Osweiler was born November 22nd, 1990 in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and is now an American football quarterback for the Denver Broncos. He was born to parents John and Kathy Osweiler of Kalispell and he has one brother, Tanner, who played football at Montana Tech. He resides in Kalispell, Montana.

Osweiller attended Flathead High School in Kalispell, Montana. He played both football and basketball. He was coached by Russell McCarvel at Flathead High School.

During his playing days at Flathead High School Osweiler excelled on the gridiron and basketball court. He was listed as the 25th-best pro-style quarterback in the country by Rivals.com and rated 47th at his position by Scout.com. He was named the 2008 Gatorade State Player of the Year for Montana, giving Arizona State two of Montana's past three Gatorade State Players of the Year, joining former Sun Devil offensive lineman Matt Hustad, who won the award playing for Helena High School in 2006-07.

As a sophomore, Osweiler threw for 2,454 yards and 22 touchdowns, but he gained national attention due to his senior campaign performance. In 2008, he led the state of Montana in completed passes (189) and passing yards (2,703), ranking second in pass attempts (303) and passing touchdowns (29). He also led the Braves in rushing with 162 carries for 700 yards (4.3 ypc) and thirteen touchdowns. He scored three times on the ground and totaled 84 rushing yards on 18 attempts (4.7 avg.) and completed 15-22 passes (68.2 pct) for 163 yards and two scores against Sentinel on Oct. 3, 2008. He threw for 243 yards and four touchdowns against Great Falls on Oct. 11, 2008 and collected a season high 115 rushing yards on 22 attempts (5.0 avg.) with three touchdowns and added 178 passing yards on 12-19 attempts (63.2 pct) with one touchdown versus Glacier on Oct. 17, 2009. He threw for 309 yards on 18-23 passing (78.3 pct.) with five touchdowns through the air, while adding 50 rushing yards on nine attempts (5.6 avg.) with two scores against Hellgate on Oct. 24, 2008. He threw for 2,454 yards and 22 touchdowns as a sophomore in 2006.

As a standout basketball player in high school Osweiler was more known by recruiters for his basketball skills. In 2007 he originally committed to Gonzaga University as a sophomore before deciding to strictly focus on a collegiate football career. As a junior on the hardwood in 2007-08, he averaged 24.9 points, 14.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.8 blocked shots on 48-percent shooting from the field and was rated as a three-star basketball recruit by Scout.com.

College

Brock Osweiler had sprouted to 6-foot-7 as a high school sophomore when he started to thinking that maybe his future was in football, not basketball. Though Osweiler had already given an oral commitment to play forward at Gonzaga, Osweiler figured he might as well at least start to see if any college football programs might be interested in him.

Osweiler put together a DVD with football highlights from his 10th-grade year at Flathead High.

"Within a few weeks, I got a call from Florida State asking, 'Is he really a sophomore? Is he really that big?'" said Russell McCarvel, Osweiler's coach at Flathead High. "They were really excited. From there, it just started building. It was at that point that I knew where all this was going, and that long-term he'd have a better opportunity to end up exactly where he did."

McCarvel brought his smart phone with him to his son's baseball game last Friday evening, for the second day of the draft, in Kalispell. He probably paid more attention to the draft tracker on his phone than he did to the action of the field, especially as the Broncos' pick at No. 57 approached.

Osweiler became the first offensive player and the second overall athlete of the 2009 class to commit to the Sun Devils, pledging on April 30th, 2008. He was also offered scholar-ships from Alabama, Florida State, Stanford, Tennessee, UCLA and Washington State.

In 2009 he was a true freshman and played in six games of the season. He made his first career start Nov. 14 vs. Oregon and became the first ASU true freshman to start at quarterback since Jake Plummer in 1993. He threw 24 completions for 249 yards and two touchdowns and had just two interceptions on the season. He finished with a 86.39 passer efficiency rating and averaged 41.5 passing yards per game and gained 60 yards on 16 rushing attempts, including a long of 19. He went 11-27 for 153 yards and a touchdown, and completed three passes of 20+ yards Nov. 7 against USC and threw his first career touchdown pass in the fourth quarter of a win over Idaho State Sept. 5.

In 2010 he did not throw an interception all season and appeared in six games. He went 6-10 for 60 yards vs. Portland State and came on in relief of an injured Steven Threet to help lead ASU back from 17-0 deficit to win vs. UCLA 55-17. He had his best passing performance on Frank Kush Field since 2007 in the game by throwing for 380 passing yards, four touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. The 55 points scored was the second-highest total against a Pac-10 school in ASU history and he was named ASU athlete of the week due to his performance. His first start of the season came in the Territorial Cup where he finished the game 22 of 49 for 267 yards, one touchdown in overtime thriller win to bring the Cup back to Tempe. He earned Hard Hat player recognition for his work in ASU's offseason strength and conditioning program.

2011 was his first season as the starter, Osweiler re-wrote the Arizona State record book for passing and became the first quarterback in the history of Sun Devil football to throw for over 4,000 yards, finishing the season with 4,036. He set new school records for completions (326) and attempts (516) and threw for 26 touchdowns, the fourth most in school history. He completed 63.2% of his passing, setting a new school record for completion percentage and threw for a career high 487 yards against Arizona, tying a school record with his 63 pass attempts. He had six 300-yard passing games on the season, including four over 350 yards and three times threw for three touchdowns (Missouri, at Utah and Cal). He was the tallest quarterback in the nation. Osweiler earned All-Pac 12 Conference second-team honors from The NFL Draft Report, as the Maxwell Award Watch List member and ASU team captain started all thirteen games, ranking second in the league and 11th in the nation with an average of 317.3 yards per game in total offense.

Osweiler was a three-year letterman, including the 2011 season, his first as the starter. He brings incredible size and tremendous athleticism to the position. He is a playmaking threat in and out of the pocket and is more mobile than his size would indicate. Osweiler started 15-of-25 games at Arizona State, completing 412-of-680 passes (60.5%) for 5,082 yards, 33 touchdowns and 15 interceptions, as he scored four times on 137 carries for 221 yards (1.61 ypc). He joined Rudy Carpenter (.610; 799-of-1,309; 2005-08) as the only players in school history to complete more than 60% of their passes during their careers at ASU. He was MVP of the 2010 Territorial Cup game, a win in Tucson and had seven 300-yard games. He graduated high school early to join the team for spring practice in 2009. In 2011, Osweiler became just the fourth player in Pac-12 Conference annals to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season, setting the school annual mark with 4,036 yards. Nick Foles of Arizona also had 4,334 yards in 2011, as they joined other league 4,000-yard passers; Cody Pickett of Washington (4,458 in 2002) and Derek Anderson of Oregon State (4,058 in 2003). Along with Foles (4,321 in 2011) and Pickett (4,273 in 2002), Osweiler also joined the conference’s exclusive club as that trio are the only passers in the league to tally 4,000 yards in total offense, ranking third on that list with 4,126 in 2011. He completed 36 passes vs. Arizona in 2011, the third-best game total by a Sun Devil and his 63 pass attempts vs. the Wildcats tied the school record first set by Paul Justin vs. Houston in 1990.

Osweiler (pronounced OSS-why-lur) made the most of his starting opportunity in 2011 and hopes to convert that record breaking campaign into the professional ranks.

The Sun Devil passer is very light on his feet and shows good flexibility rolling out and throwing from the outside hashes. Perhaps due to his basketball experience, he can not only slide and move laterally out of the pocket, but has the arm strength, body control and balance to make all the throws on the move, along with the ability to fire the ball deep with impressive accuracy. A diligent worker in practice and a player who can often be found watching opposing game film.

A few weeks after playing in the Las Vegas Bowl, and with a new coaching staff taking over the program, Osweiler decided that he was going to leave school and announced on January 9th, 2012 that he was entering the 2012 NFL Draft.

Osweiler, who started 15 games at Arizona State and declared for the draft after his junior year, had told people close to him that he felt good about the Broncos' interest in him after a private workout for executive vice president John Elway and the coaching staff.

After picking Arizona State over a host of other big-time college football programs, Osweiler gave up basketball after his junior year.

"It was a gamble for me because there haven't been too many quarterbacks that are my size that have played in the NFL. Really when it came down to it, it was basically my love for the game," Osweiler said. "I was a very passionate basketball player, really enjoyed the sport. I played it my entire life. When it really came down to it, at the end of the day, towards the end of my junior year, I just loved the game of football too much."

Noel Mazzone arrived in Tempe to become the Sun Devils' offensive coordinator a year later, in January 2010, and recalled his first impression of Osweiler as a tall, energetic kid with a "charismatic" personality.

"He was kind of a charmer," Mazzone said. "The first thought when you see him is, 'Is this guy really serious about what he's doing?'"

Mazzone said he had his answer two days into spring practice.

"One of the things I worked on him hard with was you have to become a student of the game," Mazzone said. "That's where he took the biggest strides — the work in the classroom, the work after practice, the work in the offseason."

He spent the spring working out with Mazzone. Osweiler went through throwing sessions with Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers (who played for Mazzone at North Carolina State), Chiefs quarterback Matt Cassel and former Bronco Tim Tebow.

"Philip was kind enough to come up and spend a couple of days with Brock." Mazzone said. "Philip is 6-5, kind of a taller guy. Every move (Rivers) made, (Osweiler) was just taking it in."

After his selection by the Broncos, Osweiler, who is only 21, raved about his opportunity to learn from Manning, who signed a five-year contract in March. Osweiler's first contract will be for four years.

"I think Brock was just excited about the opportunity to work with Peyton and see how it works, how he goes about his business," Elway said after the draft. "I think that part of the thought process there, too — not whether we've got Peyton for another three or four years — was get somebody in here, to be able to work with him over time (so he) can really grow."

Scouting Report

Osweiler is an intriguing early-entry prospect out of Arizona State. He started for Dennis Erickson's Sun Devils for just two years before opting to leave a year of eligibility on the table with the mass exodus of both the ASU coaching staff and a solid group of senior starters. A good athlete for the position. He has the arm strength to be a first-day pick but hasn't shown the consistency that is characteristic of guys who deserve first-round money.

Strengths

Osweiler has a very deliberate, quick-twitched setup which he employs on a consistent basis. His athletic ability allows him to play the position naturally and with ease. He slings the ball naturally, as well, and even though he pats the ball before throwing, his release is so compact and effective he isn't hindered by this habit in the slightest. His shining asset is his arm strength; he can hit nearly any NFL-caliber throw at this point in his career. He is a good leader and looks in control in the huddle and on the field. He is above average from an accuracy standpoint, and he really has a good grasp on when to add touch to the ball or to zip it. He has the pocket presence of a first-day pick and doesn't go down easily. He is good to extend plays with his feet.

Weaknesses

Osweiler had on-the-field judgment issues throughout his career at ASU and isn't reliable to protect the ball from turnovers. It seems as if he starts to get rolling in a game, and the more confidence he builds, the more of a gun-slinger mentality he adopts. This severely hinders his play. When under control, early in the game, he is athletic, accurate, and a good game manager. He will need to learn to hone in some of the competitive traits that have helped lead him to success up to this point. He is likely a developmental prospect who could struggle if forced to play early on.

Officially listed by the Broncos at 6-foot-7, rookie Brock becomes the tallest quarterback in the NFL. His tall-guy brethren in the NFL include Baltimore Ravens starter Joe Flacco, Carolina Panthers backup Derek Anderson and New England Patriots backup Ryan Mallett, each at 6-6. Here's what people are saying about Osweiler's height:

"I really don't see too many negatives that come with it because of the athleticism that I have. Without a doubt, my field vision is a huge asset because of my height. A lot of shorter quarterbacks have to slide in the pocket to find windows, while I can just look over the line sometimes." - Osweiler.

"He was probably the only one at the combine who was trying to sneak down and trying to be shorter than he is. But there's only ever been one guy who was that size and that was (Dan) McGwire at Seattle, and I don't think he was nearly as athletic as Brock. I really don't see how the height can hurt you if you're athletic enough. ... To me, being a guy when you're standing in a huddle behind be-hemoths, being able to see is always a benefit. To me, if you're athletic like Brock is and you're tall like he is, all that's going to do is help him. I don't think it's going to be a hindrance to him." John Elway, Broncos executive vice president.

"He plays like he's a 6-3, 6-4 guy. He's a very athletic guy." Noel Mazzone, former Arizona St. offensive coordinator. "He rushed for nearly 700 yards for us as a senior. The thing that really stands out is when you watch him move, you don't think he's that big, don't realize he's that tall. He will never be mistaken for Michael Vick, but he moves well enough to make some plays with his feet."

NFL Draft

Just over a month before the NFL Draft, another young quarterback sat down with Jon Gruden to be initiated on national television. The interview was for the ESPN series Gruden’s QB Camp, where the fiery former head coach interrogates and dissects NFL prospects down to their tattoos. At times throughout the series Gruden has reduced confident college football stars into mumbling oafs. In many ways, the popular series has become a young quarterback’s introduction to the hard-knock world of professional football.

In late March, Gruden blitzed his latest sitting target, Brock Osweiler, the kid from Montana on the verge of entering the NFL only three years after graduating from Flathead High School and with only one full season as Arizona State University’s starting quarterback.

"You are one of the most mysterious quarterbacks in this draft I think," Gruden said with squinted, suspicious eyes.

He reminded Osweiler of his decision to leave college as a junior with limited starting experience, a talking point naysayers use as ammo when predicting Osweiler’s future. But others, including ESPN’s NFL Draft specialist Todd McShay, believe he’s a top-five quarterback in this week’s draft.

The stories first emerged like myths. They spread across the Flathead Valley, and then Montana, and then the Pacific Northwest. A 6-4 middle schooler who already had the frame of a college athlete was dominating youth sports like a Goliath among boys. He once scored 50 points in a game. That athleticism on the basketball court translated to the football field, too. His abilities, for a kid at any age, were uncommon. Very uncommon.

Brock Osweiler was not a mystery for very long.

In 2006, Division I college basketball programs were already courting the 6-foot-7, 220-pounder before he even completed his first basketball season at Flathead High School. His mystique hit a major growth spurt between freshman and sophomore year when he committed to play at Gonzaga, one of the best college basketball teams in the country.

Had he stayed on that road, there’s no telling where Osweiler would be today. The world of college basketball is full of talented athletes his size. Only a few go on to play in the NBA.

But in football, someone like Osweiler – taller than everyone yet coordinated and agile – is a rarity, especially at a skills position like quarterback.

"You don’t get an athlete like him very often," former ASU head coach Dennis Erickson told the Beacon last week. "He’s just so athletic for that size. That’s very, very unusual. You don’t see guys like that."

Until recently everyone believed Osweiler stood 6-8, which would make him the tallest quarterback in the NFL currently and tied for the tallest ever. But an official measurement at the NFL Combine in February revealed he’s really 6-6 7/8. That’s still taller than anyone playing right now. There have only been three NFL quarterbacks in history who were 6-7 or taller, with Dan McGwire the tallest at 6-8. All three had short life spans in the NFL, more ammo used against Osweiler.

"But he doesn’t play like he’s 6-8," former University of Montana All-American quarterback Grady Bennett said. "To me he’s always had the feet and movement like a 6-3 quarterback."

Bennett was the head football coach at Flathead when Osweiler was a freshman and sophomore. Even then people were saying Osweiler was too tall to play QB beyond high school. But Bennett competed at the NFL Combine the same year McGwire did. Besides their height similarities, there’s no comparing McGwire and Osweiler, Bennett said.

That’s why Bennett and others told the young kid to be patient about deciding his future.

As the Braves starting quarterback from his sophomore year until graduation, Osweiler wrote himself into the record books and became one of the most prolific high school quarterbacks ever in Montana.

Russell McCarvel, who became the Braves head coach when Osweiler was a junior after Bennett moved to Glacier High, remembers getting phone calls from colleges across the nation, including Florida State, Stanford and UCLA. Everyone wanted to know about this mythical Montana quarterback they kept hearing about.

"Without a doubt, what has set him apart, besides his size, is his work ethic," McCarvel said. "There’s a lot of big QBs, but his work ethic is outstanding. He’s also got a great thirst for football knowledge. And he wants to be great."

By junior year, college basketball was out of the picture. On April 30, 2008, Osweiler announced his commitment to play football at Arizona State under Erickson, who first heard of Osweiler thanks to longstanding Montana ties. Erickson played quarterback at Montana State in the late 1960s.

"We watched him his senior year and it was a no-brainer for us," Erickson said, adding, "He just has a personality that overwhelms people. He’s a true leader."

On Nov. 14, 2009, Osweiler made his first start. It turned out to be a baptism by fire. His debut came on the road in the raucous Autzen Stadium against 13th-ranked Oregon where he would get injured early on. He played sporadically throughout the rest of the season with limited success and dropped down the team’s depth chart. Erickson left it up to him to prove he deserved another shot.

On Nov. 26, 2010, ASU trailed UCLA 17-0 and the starting quarterback went down with an injury. Erickson called on the sophomore to fill in off the bench. The kid from Kalispell led the Sun Devils to three straight scores and a 55-34 comeback win.

"The rest is pretty much history," Erickson said.

The following year Osweiler had the best statistical season ever for an ASU quarterback. The Sun Devils’ season ended in the team’s first bowl game in four years, but Erickson was still fired. Two months later, Osweiler announced he was forgoing his senior year and entering the NFL Draft.

"I thought this day would come," Erickson said. "I was hoping it would be another year, but there’s no question in my mind he’ll be a heckuva good player in the National Football League."

There have been 62 players in the NFL from Montana, according to pro-football-reference.com. Flathead High currently has one – Lex Hilliard – while former Brave Mike Reilly is quarterbacking in the CFL.

"He has wanted to be at this level for a long time," McCarvel said of Osweiler, whom he still keeps in touch with and recently visited.

Having a Montana kid on the doorstep of the NFL is something that brings the state together like a small community cheering for one of its own, Bennett said.

"To have a guy like Brock really go big time and have the success he’s had, it’s good for the community. It’s good for the state. It’s good for football in Montana," Bennett said. "It just makes everybody proud."

•••••••

A brief moment of silence lingered along with Gruden’s question: "You’re sure you’re ready for this?"

"Without a doubt, coach," Osweiler replied emphatically. "This has been a dream of mine since I was 8 years old, to be an NFL quarterback."

Osweiler went on: "One of my favorite quotes is ‘the greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.’"

People said he was too tall to be a Division I quarterback. People said a Montana kid would never start for ASU. Now some people are saying he’s not ready for the NFL.

"With my leadership, with my toughness, with my work ethic," Osweiler said. "I’m going to do everything within my power to prove those people wrong and show what truly matters is the person inside."

His words echoed the growing legion of fans and believers who think he will have a strong career.

Gruden sat back in his chair listening with arms crossed. His head began nodding like a teammate believing in his quarterback’s game-winning drive. The suspicion seemed to leave Gruden’s eyes. For a moment, he even revealed a smile.

At the combine Brock Osweiler didn't lift, run or throw and he came up a little short in one of few tests to which he submitted. To be exact, 1 1/8 inches short.

Still, the former Arizona State quarterback believes he can show NFL scouts a lot about himself here, even if doesn't touch a football.

"I want to show GMs, head coaches that starting only 15 games in my college career was enough," Osweiler said, when asked what he hoped to prove at the combine. "Get me in the meeting room and let me show you the person, the leader, the competitor that I am, and the football player."

Osweiler is skipping the physical tests, he said, because he hasn't quite recovered from the mid-foot sprain suffered late in the bowl game in December. He plans to do all of the tests on March 30, ASU's pro scouting day.

As for coming up short? Osweiler had a little room to work with. At ASU he was listed at 6-8.

"I guess our height measurements at ASU are off a little bit," Osweiler said, smiling. "But, shoot, I think 6-6 is still an OK height to play quarterback. We're an eighth of an inch off so I'm going to round up and say I'm 6-7."

Osweiler's height is one of several subjects teams have brought up in the interviews at the combine. All want to know why he chose to leave school after only one full year as a starter, and some want to know more about a throwing motion that one coach, who preferred to remain anonymous, called unorthodox.

"He's an extremely talented guy, but I feel he would have benefited from another year in school," one scout said.

Osweiler left, he said, because "I felt I had I had done everything I could in my time at ASU. I had absolutely no regrets in my three years. I gave everything I had every single day to our football program, and I just felt like I was at a time and a place where I was ready to take my game to the next level and take on new challenges."

His departure, he said, had nothing to do with the firing of Dennis Erickson and the hiring of Todd Graham. Osweiler said he had several amicable meetings with Graham and offensive coordinator Mike Norvell before deciding to leave school.

"This was more of a personal decision," he said.

But was it wise?

Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III are the top two quarterbacks in the draft. A handful of scouts and coaches here said Osweiler is in the next tier, along with Nick Foles of Arizona, Ryan Tannehill of Texas A&M and Brandon Weeden of Oklahoma State.

"I think Foles has the frame and his physical skill set is just a hair below Osweiler's," one scout said. "He might be more seasoned than Osweiler, though."

Osweiler has interviewed with several teams at the combine, including the Chiefs, Seahawks, Eagles, Redskins and Bills.

"Brock was really impressive when I talked to him," one NFL assistant said. "My first impression was, 'why are you coming out early when you've started only (15) games?'"

Osweiler gave the same answer he did to reporters: He was ready.

To prove it, he's emphasizing to coaches that he had great responsibility in Arizona State's scheme, including leading classroom sessions late in the week.

"On Friday night in the hotel, I would go over the game plan with our entire team," he said. "I would take the play-call sheet and go through each play as the coaches sat back and monitored the situation.

"Saturday mornings before we got on the bus, I would run a quick film session, putting up coverages of the defense so our guys could see what they were about to go into. That's a lot of the things I added when I became quarterback and brought to Arizona State."

If that sounds like something that would be said in a job interview, it's not a coincidence. The combine is one large, invitation-only job fair.

Osweiler sounded ready to tackle anything thrown at him, including the notion that especially tall quarterbacks don't make it in the NFL.

"I don't feel like there has ever been a quarterback who is 6-7, 240 pounds and has the athleticism I do and can make every throw on the football field," Osweiler said. "So I ignored all those comparisons and played football the way I was taught to."

On Friday, April 27th Brock Osweiler's life changed forever when he was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft.

Since Osweiler concluded his junior season at ASU there has been many rumors about his future. Would he return to the Sun Devils for his senior season? Would he transfer to another school after the firing of head coach Dennis Erickson and offensive coordinator Noel Mazzone? Would he declare himself eligible for the NFL? In the end Osweiler decided to take his chances with the NFL.

Prior to the draft many scouts and so called draft gurus said that Osweiler would have been better served to finish his college career at ASU before turning pro. To be fair, if Brock would have done that he would have to run a whole new offensive system under new Sun Devil coach, Todd Graham. Even more important, he would have to change from a pocket passer to the leader of a spread offense where he would have to carry the ball more.

As the second round of the draft concluded it appeared that Osweiler not only made the right decision by turning pro, but might possibly have gotten the best opportunity that any quarterback could possibly ask for with his draft position.

Osweiler was taken by the Denver Broncos in the second round. He was the fourth overall quarterback drafted and the first to be taken on day two of the draft. By going in the second round he is not expected to start right away or withstand the pressure of carrying a franchise early in his career.

"For Mr. Elway to take me in the second round and show that trust that he has in me and the upside he thinks I have, I want to go out and there and prove him right," Osweiler said. "I want to be able to have him look back 10 years from now, 15 years from now and have him be very proud about that selection and let him know that he did make the right selection."

Not only will Brock be given time to learn the offense in Denver before he is expected to contribute on the field but he will be tutored by two of the best quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. He will be backing up Peyton Manning, who the Broncos signed as a free agent this off season. His style of being a big, strong pocket passer is very much like the skill set of Manning which will be a great example to learn from. Manning can help Osweiler not only on the field but off it as well. For his entire career Manning has been known for his leadership and attention to detail, both areas that Brock can improve on. Oh, and by the way, legendary quarterback John Elway is in the Broncos front office and can help tutor Brock as well.

It is evident that the situation could not have set up much better for Brock Osweiler. As long as he puts in the hard work needed and follows the examples of Elway and Manning there is no doubt that Osweiler can have a long and productive NFL career.

Future

Broncos head coach John Fox feels like he’s the guy they can develop to take over when Manning retires.

"I don’t think it’s one of those things where Peyton Manning feels threatened by any stretch," Broncos coach John Fox jokingly said, according to The Associated Press per NFL.com. "All in all, I thought (Osweiler) is what you’re looking for in a prototypical quarterback. He’s the guy we liked that we think has a bright future in the future."

Osweiler is looking forward to the opportunity to learn from Manning and doesn’t mind the fact that he’ll be sitting for the next two to three years.

"I could not be any more excited to be going to Denver to learn from Peyton Manning," he said in a conference call, according to The AP per NFL.com. "A lot of quarterbacks might be upset having to sit behind somebody, where I look at it as a tremendous opportunity to learn from one of the best, if not the best to ever play the game."

"I’ll be ready to roll," Osweiler said. "Regardless of whatever the situation is this year, I’ll be ready when my name gets called."

Reality is still sinking in for Brock Osweiler, who is now a quarterback for a storied NFL franchise and working alongside two of the greatest signal callers ever.

"It's all pretty surreal," he said in a conference call Thursday, less than a week after being drafted by the Denver Broncos. "I'm so fortunate to be going to a great situation."

Osweiler, 22, is fulfilling a dream he's had ever since growing up in the Flathead Valley, standing in knee-deep snow tossing a football at a target, focused on playing professional football.

"My entire life, my soul vision, since I was 7-8 years old, was to be a quarterback in the NFL," he said.

Today, he's playing for one of his home state's favorite franchises.

"I could not be any happier with the situation I'm going to and the city I'm going to," he said. "It's such a special opportunity."

The Broncos, under the guidance of former NFL great John Elway, the team's executive vice president of football operations, had their eye on Osweiler. After Osweiler announced he would forego his senior year at Arizona State University, Denver was one of the first teams to contact him. Elway and head coach John Fox talked extensively with Osweiler at the NFL Combine. By draft time the Broncos were trading around picks and positioning themselves to be able to take Osweiler with the 57th overall pick.

He said he wasn't very surprised to get a phone call from Denver Friday night of the draft. Immediately after the pick was announced, Elway expressed his excitement about landing the quarterback.

"Mr. Elway's been great," Osweiler said. "He has full confidence in me and that's why he said he drafted me. He sees a very bright future for me."

Osweiler said the former Bronco great shared some lasting advice in one of their first conversations since the NFL Draft.

"He basically just told me 'embrace the situation, have fun with it but work your tail off. If you continue the work ethic you showed at ASU, you'll be just fine,'" Osweiler said. "I can only thank him for putting me in the situation I'm in, to be able to sit behind a future Hall of Fame quarterback and pick his brain every day."

Osweiler said he looks forward to learning from one of the game's best – Peyton Manning. Manning joined the Broncos this offseason, making the team an immediate contender. Denver has two other quarterbacks on the roster, 26-year-old Caleb Hanie and second year player Adam Weber.

Osweiler said the challenges he faces right away will be learning Denver's complex offense, which centers around a quarterback like Manning who constantly reads defenses at the line of scrimmage and makes changes accordingly. Nevertheless, Osweiler is relishing the challenge ahead.

"My job sitting behind Peyton is not only to push him and get him prepared for each game each week, but also to learn from him on a daily basis," Osweiler said. "It's not his job to babysit me or pass the torch. It's my job to be looking over his shoulder and learn from him and find out why he's so great."

Osweiler said he's been working on his throwing motion and training in preparation for the upcoming rookie mini camp.

And as he arrives on the big stage of the NFL, he doesn't seem to forget where he came from.

"Kalispell is truly the place that shaped me into the person I am today," he said. "Kalispell taught me my work ethic and my determination. A lot of that credit goes to my parents, but also the good old Flathead Valley."

21 comments:

Nice post G. I think the first half needs to be edited a bit though. More like a lot of the repetitious stuff deleted. I think I read he was signed at Gonzaga to play basketball 4 times at least.

I like this pick and Brock seems like a good kid. As a Tebow supporter though, I still don't get Elway's determination to ship him out and replace him with another project type guy drafted way higher than he should've been. As for Gruden's questions, with the situation he fell into, thanks to an inside track of being friends with Elway's son Jack, it was a very wise decision to skip his last year of eligibility and learn from two of the best QBs to ever play the game. There is a major upside in the fact that Elway and Peyton will be willing to train with the kid as opposed to if they were dealing with training around the hoopla of the Tebow circus. I get that and am pretty much over the man crush I had on TT. It's over, but it sure was fun. No regrets here on last year's season and the magic he had. What I'm not over is Elway's lies and deception. I'm not happy about that part of where the Broncos are headed under Elway. Players come and go though and I don't get to vote in who does which. Hey, that's an idea. The fans get to vote on all GM type decisions. It would make you feel more like it's your team. However, they'd have to make sure everyone only voted once, unlike G's polls on here.

Oh my goodness... it keeps on rolling... the Tebow train lol You say your man crush on TT is over Digger but the fact that you still hate that ELWAY traded him away proves that you still have that man crush. Its ok :p I'm still going to wear my Bronco Tebow jersey in protest... support him as a football player with so much potential AND most of all, still support my team.

Out of all our backups I think Osweiler is the better of them but I have to be brutally honest... if Manning goes down, we are screwed!! And Hurricane Ashley will be raising hell about it all season long over the fact we should've kept Tebow, who IMHO has more experience & what it takes to get the job done better than our 3 backups put together. I'm just pissed about the whole thing.

Went to a BBQ with Jimmy yesterday and ended up playing horseshoes with him, his nephews & brothers. First time I've played since I was 7 - yeah, 18 years!! Definitely rusty but I still got it. Only played 2 games, lost both but that 2nd game we had. He has a nephew who is a HUGE Bronco fan, so we teamed up against 2 Chiefs fans and we had the win but we just couldn't pull it out. Lost by 2 but man, I had a blast. Brought back a lot of memories from when I used to play with my dad & all his buddies when I was kid

Funny part was I was the only girl playing. Some of his nephews could not believe I had the guts & nerve to get out there and play some shoes or that I have the arm to throw 40 ft, accurately. Way too funny.

Hate that I lost, HATE to lose, you have no idea. I wanted that 2nd game too cause we did so well and if we had won, I was gonna Tebow just for laughs. lol oh well, there's always next time ;)

Osweiler probably is the number two QB going into the season but I can live with that, he has some talent and could surprise.

Oh and Princess meeting the family now :P haha Never really had the chance to play horseshoes before but it is a simple game you can play to versus the family. Would have been hilarious if you had won and Tebowed haha.

I havn't played horseshoes in at least 18 years either. Sound like you held your own. Couldn't pull out the win though.

Yeah I still got a little crush. My opinion is he will take some team to the SB before he's out of the league. I still wish it was us, but I have heard that Peyton Manning ain't to bad. I do think we have a better shot in the near future of getting to the dance than if we missed on Manning and Tebow had stayed. Thing is, I know Tebow would've been fine as backup. I just have a gut feeling Elway couldn't stand him. He has that personality that makes some people hate him just because. They really can't even tell you why they hate him. It's not just religion either because I have met Christians they don't like him and non-Christians that love him. Bottom line is he's a good guy and I could never root for a good guy to fail. I'm relieved we don't play him this year. Unless it's in the playoffs.

The thing I think people don't like about him is he comes across as a try hard. It is hard to explain. I remember watching video of Tebow at the combine. He never shut up and was always pushing and leading. My first reaction of course 'is this guy for real?' or a giant fake. With time I grow to believe that it was mostly genuine. But he does rub people the wrong way at first before you grow to like him.

I hope he can do good things and believe he has the ability BUT I can see him fading away with time as he never gets his chance to succeed. Who knows.

Oh and last time meant to give a big congrats to THE Rod Smith getting into the Ring of Fame. 'Bout time, sheesh... now I just wish the ceremony would be scheduled for a week later than it is. They have it for the Houston game in Denver a week before I plan on going out there for the Raider game. NOT fair! grr

Anyway, yeah I've probably met like 1/4 of his family. He's got like 3 times the family members than I do lol His mom LOVES me though, she's a sweetheart

Horseshoes is very simple, just have to play it often enough to get those accurate those and get the ringers. Haven't even touched my dad's horseshoes that I used to toss around all the time in CO, too many memories. I might now though cause I want another rematch against his two nephews and get that win and Tebow in front of everyone. You have no idea how badly I wanted to do that. Jimmy was like you should have done it anyway and I go it wouldn't have been the same since I lost both games (with I'm still mad about). So competitive its not even funny lol

As for Tebow, I can see why some people don't like him. A lot of people don't like what he's all about or just him or whatever stupid excuse they can come up with. Like you guys said, some people probably couldn't even tell you why they don't like him, they just don't. I could say that about some people.

I wish him all the best and I just know he'll be successful. The bittersweet part of it for me is that whatever great things he does, it won't be in Denver or for Denver and that just irks me. Really ticks me off. We had something great and Elway turned his back for whatever reason. And for that alone, I hope Tebow does great in his career just to say "I told you so" to Elway (by his actions). Tebow won't have to say a word, just go out there, play football and own it.

I'm a Bronco fan for life but I can still be a supporter of Tebow & his career.

After ending his rookie season at about 238 pounds, LB Von Miller (244) says he wants to be at 252 by the time the season opens. "I'm trying to add a healthy 10 pounds," he said. DE Elvis Dumervil has dropped from 260 to 250 thanks to his work with a nutritionist and chef, who he said have him eating "more natural, non-processed food."

AFC Vs NFC

vs

1

2

3

4

OT

Final

AFC

7

7

7

14

-

35

NFC

7

24

21

10

-

62

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